A manufacturer of screw machine products wanted to track the operating time of the different machines in his shop to see if there were particular machines and operators that were more productive than others.

For this project, the company wanted to accumulate both the run times and down times over a standard eight-hour work day. However, it was typical for these machines to be down several times during the day for normal operations such as while loading in additional raw material or changing tooling. To accommodate this, the manufacturer required monitoring equipment capable of determining not only how each machine was running, but also how long it was stopped, and not begin accumulating downtime until the machine had been stopped for more than 10 minutes.

The customer chose the CAS DataLoggers dataTaker DT80 data logger for this project because of its flexible programmability; it could be set-up to track both the runtime and all stoppages lasting longer than 10 minutes. With multiple monitoring schedules and up to 15 analog inputs, the dataTaker could also monitor several machines simultaneously. To simplify installation, the customer decided to use simple split-core current sensors on the power lines for the main drive motors. The datalogger could be configured to read the current and trigger when the current was above a threshold value indicating that the machine was active. The dataTaker could store as many as 10 million data points in its user-defined memory, enabling independent control of schedule size and mode so that it could be setup to log only as long as needed. The stand-alone logger also featured a built-in display and provided reliable low-power operation.

Users created a program for the data logger to sample each of the inputs corresponding to the current sensors for the different machines once every 30 seconds. The current from the motor was compared to the threshold value, and if it was greater, a running flag was set indicating that the machine was active. However, if it was less than the threshold, an internal idle counter was incremented, indicating that the machine was idle. This idle counter was then compared with the limit value of 10 minutes, and if the count exceeded this value, the run flag was cleared to indicate that the machine was down. Once the machine restarted, the run flag was set again and the idle counter reset to 0 to prepare for the next event. Finally, another schedule was programmed to look at the run flag every 30 seconds and to increment either the running or the down time totals for the day. At midnight, the total were saved and then reset to prepare for the next day’s operation.

The dataTaker’s included dEX software simplified configuration and was user-friendly for novices. Operators could create mimics to view real-time data, create trend charts and tables, and retrieve historical data for analysis. This built-in software ran directly from a web browser and could be accessed locally or remotely anywhere that a TCP/IP connection was available including globally over the Internet. Operators could use any of the logger’s built-in communications ports to view dEX including Ethernet, USB and RS-232.

Additionally, the shop’s floor supervisor prepared a summary page that allowed him to view the accumulated data at any point during the day to immediately spot any potential issues. Then the daily totals were downloaded to an Excel spreadsheet to allow trending of performance over weeks or months to help identify more systematic problems that could be related to a particular machine.

The manufacturer’s shop productivity increased as a result of installing the dataTaker DT80 intelligent datalogger due to its ability to identify the highest and lowest producing machines and operators. The dataTaker’s versatile programming capabilities, large memory, and user-friendly software enabled the customer to track all his machines’ run and stop times and also view and organize the data in convenient spreadsheet format.
www.dataloggerinc.com

Where critical plant machinery is concerned, there is a benefit in knowing what is going on at an exact point in time, not just when the engineer can get to a machine for a scheduled test and analysis. The condition-monitoring (CM) arena has been influenced by a number of innovations that now allow engineers to enjoy the benefits of onsite and online testing working in unison with offsite lab analysis.

For both oil analysis and acoustic emission, onsite instruments enable rapid testing and action, and online sensors reduce the risk of human error. Online, of course, refers to sensor technology, which is advancing at a furious pace. Dependable sensors designed to monitor remotely and in real time provide an early warning system.

Oil Analysis
Oil analysis is usually the most revealing form of non-destructive testing. On-site test kits and wear-debris monitors can provide accurate information in minutes. It is widely accepted that in systems containing ferrous-based moving equipment, the ferrous levels are the first to increase as the equipment wears.

However, the real value comes from continuous monitoring of critical plant systems. Trending of vital lubricant test parameters — including viscosity, water in oil, total base number, insolubles, wear debris and particle content — is important, and the more regular the information the better. Even with the best sampling practices, sometimes results can be unrepresentative and cause false alarms. While temperature, pressure and vibration sensors all have their part to play, early detection of changes in oil and lubricant condition provides far greater insight.

Acoustic Emission
Traditional vibration analysis has provided a trusted approach to condition monitoring for the past 30 years, but it is a complex science and requires sophisticated knowledge and understanding. Acoustic emission technology, however, places the power of CM into the hands of every engineer.

Providing real-time information with early sensitivity to faults and applicability to a range of rotational speeds, the acoustic-emission technique is based on the detection of the high-frequency component of naturally occurring stress waves. Suitable for continuously running machinery as well as machinery operating intermittently or for short durations, acoustic emission allows the user to diagnose problems at an early stage, carry out maintenance procedures and then monitor the improvement.

As awareness of its capabilities increases, so too does the number of applications to which it’s suited, many of which have proven difficult for other forms of condition monitoring to address. For example, the analysis of signals, whether from acoustic emission sensors or accelerometers, requires a sufficiently long period of machine running at constant speed so a statistically meaningful signal characterization can be made. This, easily achieved on machinery continuously running, is close to impossible on machinery that operates intermittently. For example, the algorithm used to derive the widely used acoustic emission parameters of “Distress” and “dB Level” in the MHC range of products from Kittiwake Holroyd requires a 10-second period of running at an approximately constant speed. Similarly, it would not be unusual for Fast-Fourier-Transform-based vibration analysis to require comparable or even longer measurement periods and tighter tolerances on speed variation.

In cases where a hand-held instrument is used to carry out periodic CM, it may be possible to interrupt normal machine operation and put it into a special continuously running mode for the duration of CM measurements. However, such disruption is not always possible and never convenient. Furthermore, it is not compatible with the current trend toward CM automation, which requires continuous online monitoring with permanently installed sensors inputting data into SCADA systems or PLCs.

Downtime costs money and impacts profitability, which must be steadfastly avoided, especially in today’s financial climate. Successful troubleshooting using a combination of the state-of-the-art CM technology provides the first means of diagnosing problems. By deskilling technology, all maintenance professionals are empowered to make informed decisions quickly and with confidence.

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Martin Lucas is the managing director with Kittiwake Developments. In Canada, contact Kittiwake Americas president and CEO Peter Pilon at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

A plant engineer’s ability to diagnose, detect and monitor equipment condition issues is advancing all the time, thanks to ongoing developments with vibration, thermography (infrared), oil analysis and ultrasound tools, just to name a few.

So once you have all the fancy new tools, do you know how best to take advantage of them?

We’re here to help. Along with the sophistication of the tools available, ways to synthesize and integrate data so that maintenance teams can make immediate use of it and also monitor trend issues over a period of time are also progressing. PEM asked leading technology providers to share the latest in their condition monitoring tech developments, how best to integrate them, and where the future is headed.

Infrared
Over the last few years, infrared cameras have improved significantly in terms of resolution and now come with more options as well, says Paul Frisk, manager of the Infrared Training Center in Burlington, Ont. (the training arm of infrared camera-maker FLIR Canada Ltd.). “Infrared cameras now have the ability to incorporate wireless data from digital clamp meters and other instruments and make that all available at one glance,” he explains. “Some cameras now available immediately generate a single-page report. This summary can be transferred for printing and archiving by download to an office computer or through wifi to a plant’s CMMS system.”

Frisk says the primary value of an infrared camera is in its ability to initially determine whether a device is working properly or not while it’s running. “With some other diagnostic tools, you have to shut down the device, which obviously impacts production,” he notes. However, as with many types of detection and monitoring technology, there are misconceptions about what infrared cameras can provide.

“From watching movies and TV, people think infrared cameras can allow you to see through walls, water, etc., but they only measure released infrared energy,” he explains. “A properly trained thermographer can determine temperatures from infrared readings using conversion factors, knowing the material and so on, but infrared cameras cannot overcome the physics of all materials under all conditions.” He also stresses that infrared images can easily be misinterpreted, and proper training is absolutely necessary.

In addition to using handheld infrared cameras and connecting them with your plant’s CMMS, standalone infrared cameras can send data to the process PLC (programmable logic controller). “Based on the camera’s readings, things like process speed, fans or heat can automatically be adjusted if the material needs to be kept at a certain temperature,” Frisk notes.

With regard to the future of infrared condition monitoring technology, he foresees more improvement in resolution and smaller camera size, along with a continued drop in cost.

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Ultrasound
Ultrasound instruments have changed a great deal over the past decade, according to Alan Bandes, vice president of marketing at UE Systems. Analog detectors, which required manual entry of test results for basic trouble-shooting, have been replaced by software-driven digital systems capable of analyzing trends and reporting on a wide range of operating conditions. Newer models offer things like sound analysis, cameras, non-contact infrared thermometers, and even touch screen controls. “There are a lot of professionals that haven’t looked at ultrasound technology closely and view the instruments as basically leak detectors,” Bandes says. “Others feel, incorrectly, that ultrasound is too subjective, which is often due to experience only with older analog units.”

Bandes says it’s very easy to integrate ultrasound technology into plant processes. “Due to the sophistication of on-board software and external supportive software, users can create routes, establish baseline information and upload and download route data,” he explains. With baselines set, the software can notify personnel with low-level alarms (for example, lubrication starvation) or high alarms (failure) through headphones or other means.

Some instruments provide inspectors with the option of opening up a spectral analysis screen to analyze bearing faults, gear mesh issues and electric emissions while in the field. Recorded sound samples can be played in real-time and viewed with an image of the spectral screen. “This feature is very useful for electrical emissions as well as mechanical operations,” he notes.

Software associated with ultrasound instruments can provide specialized reporting for things like steam traps, valves and bearings. “Regarding leak surveys, downloaded test results can be converted into reports that provide important information for cost analysis and greenhouse gas emissions,” Bandes says. Regarding the future of machine monitoring by ultrasound, he believes “we are only limited by the software we can develop.”

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Oil analysis
More vendors now supply in-plant oil analysis sensors and the means to communicate with those sensors. “It's no longer necessary to rely solely on a lab for analyzing oil samples to determine fluid condition,” says Darren German, Bosch Rexroth national service manager. “In the plant, we can now get real-time results on of oil cleanliness (particle count), water content and temperature when sensors are coupled with a data acquisition device.” These devices can record and track trend parameters in real time for any given time period, but German cautions maintenance teams that monitoring equipment should be considered as a compliment to a bottle sampling program; reports from an oil analysis lab still provide the most oil condition information. The role of monitoring equipment is to provide additional protection between bottle sampling periods, he says. “If, for example, a heat exchanger ruptures and releases water into the oil the day after a bottle sample was taken,” he notes, “this will likely go unnoticed until production stops if there is no oil analysis sensors in place.”

The many oil-monitoring systems on the market range in complexity and price. “Some of the data acquisition systems also provide the ability to add a threshold or alarm which will signal the moment the results vary from a ‘baseline normal,’ ” he says. “We suggest that before investing, you should understand what it is that you want to accomplish — what parameters are important to monitor.” He recommends that maintenance groups consult with their engineering groups prior to purchasing a system, as the ability for a machine to communicate with a sensor often already exists within the machine HMI.

German predicts that down the road, the capacity to measure reliable viscosity and TAN (total acid number) will be developed, along with a sensor that can measure the amount of air in hydraulic fluid. “ ‘Smart’ sensors and wireless sensors are often mentioned as coming down the pipe as well,” he says.

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Vibration
Advances over the last few years in sensor, recording, and analysis technology have put vibration analysis within the reach of even small companies, says John Bernet, product and application specialist at Fluke Corp. “Easier measurement procedures (triaxial sensors), combined with vibration diagnosis programs (expert systems) now enable maintenance teams with minimal training and experience to use vibration to evaluate machine health and determine required maintenance,” he notes.

Bernet says vibration can identify problems before other symptoms, such as heat, sound, electrical consumption and lubricant impurities, are detected. “Measuring the vibration of motors, pumps, and other common machines can reveal valuable information about machine health or impending failures,” he notes. “However, instead of focusing on the patterns of the hundreds of faults that vibration analysis can reveal, we should focus on the four most common mechanical faults: imbalance, misalignment, wear, and looseness.” He adds that studies have found that many vibration analysis programs don’t collect all the data needed to make an accurate diagnosis — to diagnose machine condition correctly, vibration data is needed from all three axes of a rotating shaft.

The key to automating vibration analysis, he notes, is to compare new data with data from a similar machine known to be functioning properly. Automated diagnostic programs perform a sophisticated analysis, comparing hundreds of data points with the fault patterns of similar machines to give easy-to-understand results.

Bernet foresees that the benefits of vibration analysis will be expanded to the entire plant in future. “A plant’s reliability team can use high-end analysis programs on the few complex machines, while the maintenance team can use simple diagnostic tools on the basic machines,” he says.  p

Treena Hein is a freelance writer based in Pembroke, Ont.

Bearings are critical components of machines and with proper performance monitoring, imminent failures can be identified and corrected. However, without a monitoring program in place, and subsequent corrective actions taken, a single bearing failure can result in full machine shutdown and countless hours of lost production.

Bearing monitoring is guided by three main senses: sight, sound and touch. Basic monitoring is conducted through elemental observations. However, many highly sensitive tools are available that amplify these observations so they are more noticeable, recordable, and include basic logic to assist with warning identification.

Visual Monitoring
Monitoring bearings visually through classical methods include observing lubricant condition, corrosion, and deterioration. Mounted bearings that are lubricated properly will purge grease from their seals. The condition of the grease upon purging can indicate improper relubrication intervals and/or contamination. Dark, cakey or milky grease are visual signs that relubrication intervals and procedures may be improved.

Evidence of corrosion is a valuable monitoring tool as well. High levels of corrosion can degrade material strength and performance. Deterioration of the surface, seals, or obvious physical dimensional characteristics should also warrant further investigation. These observations are often signals of wear, heat and other abnormal performance prior to total bearing failure.

Several monitoring tools commonly available to leverage visual observations include site gauges for oil lubricated bearings, and thermal imaging guns. Bearings that are lubricated by oil rather than grease are often fitted with site gauges, which will give an indication of the presence of oil and the quantity of oil available to the bearing. These gauges are practical and inexpensive.

Audible Monitoring
Traditionally, audible monitoring is one of the most common methods of monitoring machinery because odd noises are obvious indicators of improper operation, even to the untrained user. It is conducted quickly through an operator’s daily routines. After all, if a bearing within the machine doesn’t sound well it usually isn’t well.

The main problems with bystander audible observations is that (1) it usually identifies the later stages of bearing failure, when planning downtime for bearing replacement is impractical and (2) when audible feedback of a single bearing is masked by the overall noise of its environment. That’s when instruments such as stethoscopes (with amplification) and decibel level meters are advantageous. Both tools are available with a wide range of features that include quantified readings and recording features so bearing performance can be trended. These tools are also more useful at identifying improper operation at a less threatening stage of failure.

Bearings should run quiet and smooth; anything different will likely reflect a flaw or a problem with the bearing itself. Noises such as grinding or banging should be investigated quickly. These noises may indicate complete bearing failure and continued use may lead to catastrophic failure and/or damage to neighboring equipment. Bearing noises such as light clicking and squealing may indicate looseness, faults or skidding and should be inspected for cause and remedy.

Audible evaluation is not as sensitive as other monitoring techniques. It is primarily a method of identifying a failure more so than identifying poor performance. Additionally, audible monitoring in the early stages of failure is more noticeable at higher operating speeds than lower speeds.

Physical (Touch) Monitoring
Monitoring bearings by touch, and then trending the observations against historical performance is by far the most useful and accurate means for assessing bearing condition and predicting bearing failure. The touch method can be used to monitor temperature, vibration, and lubrication. 

Operating temperature is the most practical and beneficial monitoring method for bearings because expensive tools are not required and is appropriate to all types of applications; slow to high speeds, light to heavy loads. For example, the average threshold of pain for humans is approximately 130°F. If it is difficult to maintain hand-to-bearing contact for several seconds then the temperature is likely above 130°F. Furthermore, water droplets placed on a bearing housing that quickly boil will indicate that the bearing temperature will have easily exceeded 212°F.

There are also many useful tools available to measure and monitor bearing temperatures. The most common include thermocouples and resistance temperature detectors (RTDs), both of which can be permanently mounted to locations on the bearing housing for continuous real-time monitoring. Temperature switches are also available that can be utilized for warning and/or shutdown at dangerous operating temperatures. Many bearing manufacturers offer various permanently mounted sensors pre-installed in bearing housings in areas that will most accurately reflect the true bearing temperature, rather than the housing skin temperature.

Portable thermal imaging tools are also a quick and efficient means to monitor bearing performance. These tools use infrared thermography to visually identify variations in temperature over a broad area.  However, the most common portable temperature measurement tool is the infrared thermometer. Although it does not measure temperatures over a broad area, they are inexpensive and easy to use.

Monitoring and trending bearing temperature is important because as a bearing fails, the temperature will continually increase. Trending temperature over time will help identify a failing bearing in the early stages of failure.

Vibration analysis is the most information-rich method available for bearing analysis, and touch can help identify smooth versus rough operation. As safety permits, feel the housing during operation. Rough operation, jostling, or grinding may indicate a bearing problem.

You may also consider vibration measurement instruments to not only identify stages of bearing failure, but also identify overall machine performance and problems. Sensors mounted to the bearing may include permanently mounted or portable magnetic base accelerometers, displacement probes, or velocity pickups. Sensor selection is dependent upon the bearing speed, sensitivity requirements and the application. Although vibration feedback is highly beneficial, proper training is important due to the complexity in data collection and interpretation. 

Simple tests can also be conducted on purged grease to detect hard particle contaminants. Upon relubrication, rub some of the freshly purged grease between fingertips. Gritty grease may indicate a need to lubricate more often or wear from a failing bearing.

Many traditional and advanced options are available to monitor and evaluate bearing performance. Leveraging instrumentation to support traditional observations is a valuable practice in support of a predictive maintenance program.

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Galen Burdeshaw is Baldor’s customer order engineering manager for DODGE bearings and power transmission components. For more information, visit www.baldor.com.

Metro Vancouver has expanded its services agreement with Azima DLI and will now benefit from Azima DLI’s web-based data analysis capabilities, in addition to its vibration monitoring tools, to support sustainable machine condition monitoring programs across six water filtration and waste water treatment plants.

Metro Vancouver’s core services, provided to 22 regional municipalities in Canada, are the provision of drinking water, sewerage and drainage, and solid waste management. Metro Vancouver has been using Azima DLI’s vibration monitoring tools, including the DCX portable vibration data collector and analyzer, to take readings from more than 350 critical pieces of equipment. Prior to utilizing Azima DLI, Metro Vancouver found that its condition monitoring program – consisting of conducting analysis on equipment readings that were required to be taken every two months – was difficult to maintain or scale as additional resources and manpower were not available. Now, Metro Vancouver’s maintenance staff can take readings from hundreds of pumps, fans, blowers and compressors and upload that data to Azima DLI’s WATCHMAN Reliability Portal for analysis.

“We have a very experienced team, but the scope of our condition monitoring program was straining resources and non-sustainable. At the same time, utilities like ours simply can’t have equipment failures as it would have a direct impact on the delivery of critical municipal services that could put the public at risk,” said Daniel Tardif, senior project engineer of reliability with Metro Vancouver. “As an Azima DLI customer, we can attest to the value of its vibration data collectors and other diagnostic tools, but it’s the benefits of centralizing the analysis of that data in one, easy-to-access web portal that will improve our program.”

Using the WATCHMAN Reliability Portal, Azima DLI analysts can review the data and post results through the web-based portal, which can be accessed by staff from nearly anywhere with Internet access, in order to better prioritize and coordinate timely maintenance and repairs. With this expanded program, Metro Vancouver has a tool for improving the overall health and reliability of its critical plant equipment.

“We have worked diligently to ensure that the predictive maintenance program stakeholders at Metro Vancouver are taking full advantage of all the benefits that our proven diagnostic tools and expert data analysis services have to offer,” said Joe Van Dyke, vice-president of operations with Azima DLI. “With dedicated training that focuses not only on how to use the tools, but also how to use the data to better prioritize maintenance and repairs, Metro Vancouver is creating a sustainable, world-class program that can scale across additional plants.”
www.azimadli.com
www.metrovancouver.org

Emerson Process Management’s new integrated pump health monitoring solution lets users to detect and predict problems, including cavitation, excessive temperature, vibration, process leakage, seal pot level and differential pressure imbalance. These conditions can bring about pump damage, failure, and several otherwise avoidable consequences.
www.emersonprocess.com/pumphealthkit

AMHERST, N.Y. - Columbus McKinnon Corporation, a designer, manufacturer and marketer of material handling products, recently announced a new marketing and sales approach to consolidate all the hoist and rigging products and brands into one sales force. The Company’s brands - including CM, Yale, Chester, Coffing, Budgit, and Little Mule - will continue to serve North America, however now each channel sales manager will have access to a complete portfolio of products, regardless of brand. This enables the sales managers to develop the best solution for the user, no matter which brand is initially specified.